Pursuing the Ominous
by Sugarythought
Summary: Post Final Act. A pregnant Kagome falls into a spider demon's trap while the others are away. Could Naraku have found a way to come back from the dead?
1. Chapter 1

Kagome stretched her arms and pulled the blankets off her body. The sun was peeking through the sides of the woven door of the hut. She slipped into her miko clothes and combed her hair, ready to start the day. When she pulled the door aside, the orange light engulfed her in a warm embrace. She breathed in the crisp morning air. The village was already bustling with people busy in their morning routines. Many greeted her as she walked by. She smiled pleasantly at them.

"Kagome!" A small kitsune ran towards her from a nearby hut.

"Hello Shippo!" Kagome opened her arms to him as he leapt towards her. "When did you get back from your training?"

"Just this morning! I went up another level!"

"Great job!"

"Where are the others?" The fox demon looked around the village from her shoulder.

"I expect they'll be back soon." She sighed. Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku had gone to a nearby village the previous day to get rid of a pesky demon lurking in a shrine. She had been forbidden from going due to her condition.

Kagome put a hand to her swollen belly. She was only a few months pregnant and not bedridden but Inuyasha had insisted she remain in the village. He had always been the protective type so she understood. Staying behind sure was lonely though.

"Why didn't you go with them this time? Sango went around with Miroku when she was pregnant with the twins," Shippo said. "She was way bigger than you are."

Kagome shrugged, not wanting to linger on the thought. "They didn't want me to come."

Just then, a man raced into the village atop his horse. He skidded to a halt at the center just beyond where Kagome stood. Dirt flew up in clouds around the horse's hooves. Many of the villagers stopped their chores to watch him.

"Please!" He yelled to them. The man was covered in sweat and mud. "Someone must help me! My family is in grave danger!"

Priestess Kaede came limping from her hut. She had twisted her ankle the night before while chasing the twins around the village. She had been entrusted as their caregiver while the others were away. Kagome had been the one to chase them to bed in the end. "What has happened Sir?"

The man climbed off his horse and knelt before the old woman. "A strange demon has encroached on our small village. He has my family captive."

"What sort of demon?" Kaede asked. Rin popped out of the hut behind her carrying the sleeping boy of Miroku and Sango.

"He takes the form of a giant spider!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes. Shippo whispered her own thoughts in her ear. "You don't think it could be…"

Kaede sighed heavily, clearly exhausted. "Someone ready my horse."

Kagome took a step forward. "Kaede, please let me go in your stead."

Kaede looked her up and down. "Kagome, you know Inuyasha would not be pleased."

Kagome shooed her with her hand. "Oh please… I'm perfectly capable of handling my own."

Shippo pipped up beside her. "I'll be with her to protect her Kaede!"

The old woman seemed to be thinking. The baby in Rin's arms began to squirm and wail.

"Granny Kaede! She hit me!" A little voice called from inside Kaede's hut. The twins had woken up and clearly were not starting their day on a good note. One of them pushed the door to the hut aside and ran out completely naked.

"Rin, please go see to her," Kaede said while taking the baby from the small girl's arms. She cradled the little boy. "Very well Kagome. You must not over exert yourself and I will not be the victim of Inuyasha's wrath."

"Oh I'll handle him!" Kagome was nearly leaping with joy. She hadn't been able to venture far from the village in weeks. Ever since she had discovered her pregnancy. Kagome ran to her hut to grab her bow and arrows. One of the villagers came up with a horse for her to ride. She felt exhilarated.

The dirt covered man was already up on his horse and ready to go. "Thank you so much Priestess. Your heroism is inspiring."

Kagome blushed. "Shall we?"

They hurried on their way, leaving the village behind. They travelled alongside the edge of the forest. The man kept a good pace, leading them up and down the hills and roads. Kagome continuously shifted in her seat. She nearly never rode horseback. What use was a horse when you had Inuyasha? She could feel the muscles along her lower back and her bottom begin to ache. The sun had risen high up in the center of the sky by the time the man finally began to slow his horse.

"It's just up here Priestess."

Kagome nodded and followed him. Shippo perked up from where he was sitting in front of her. As they approached the village, Kagome took as look around. The village seemed quite ordinary expect for the lack of residents.

"Where is everyone?" Shippo asked.

The man ignored the fox demon's question and continued on into the center of the village. Kagome and Shippo followed him cautiously.

"The beast is in here!" He said as he stopped before a large building. "This is our village temple. The priest we entrusted was tempted by the evil spider demon and allowed him access to temple's spiritual powers. My wife and daughter are being held inside."

Kagome nodded determinedly and leapt off her horse. She held her bow ready as she stepped forwards. Shippo walked a few paces behind her. His sense of prowess was clearly beginning to fade. Kagome continued up the steps. She felt an evil aura coming from just beyond the doors. She took a deep breath in to steady herself before springing forward into the shrine.

It was dark inside aside from one candle burning in the hands of a stone deity at the back of the temple. Kagome willed her eyes to adjust as she looked around the room. She couldn't see or sense any people but the dark aura remained stronger than ever.

"Hello Kagome…" A sinister voice said from a dim corner. A man dressed in a white baboon cloak stepped out into the candle's low light. "It's been a while."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks everyone reviewing and following this story! You're the best and I hope you like this chapter! Let me know what you think in a review!

Side note - I'm going to shamelessly promote my other story "Just A Dream". Please check it out if you haven't already. :) Love to you all.

* * *

"I wonder how Kagome is doing," Sango asked as she walked alongside Miroku and Inuyasha. "Pregnancy can be difficult and she's carrying a baby that's part demon."

"I'm sure she's doing fine," Miroku said, taking his wife's hand in his. "Kagome is a powerful woman after all… Isn't that right Inuyasha? I bet she takes control in plenty of situations."

"Keh! Are you looking for a fight monk?" Inuyasha cracked his knuckles with a threatening glance at Miroku.

"To think she was back for what three months and you got her pregnant?" Miroku was walking with his eyes shut, a mischievous smile on his face. "I mean Sango and I were quick as well with the twins but you guys certainly didn't waste much time."

"Miroku…" Inuyasha's voice was low and steady.

"You must be quite the fertile half-demon."

Inuyasha lunged at Miroku. The monk averted the attack easily.

Miroku laughed. "You know I'm only kidding around Inuyasha. Just you wait, fatherhood is something else. You should take advantage of the time you have left before your little one arrives."

Sango gave him a look.

Miroku looked lovingly back at her. "Dear, you know I love the children. You and the kids are my reason for living. But…"

Sango sighed. "I know. When we can sneak away and destroy a demon here and there it's so nice. A break from the twins fighting and the baby crying… Am I an awful mother?"

"Of course not!" He squeezed his wife's hand, reassuringly. "Our children will grow up being proud of their mother for the heroine she is."

"If you two are about done…" Inuyasha growled. He was nervous enough about becoming a father. It didn't help that Miroku and Sango continuously reminded him of the ups and downs of parenthood. The only thing that kept him sane was knowing Kagome was safe.

As they approached the village, they found Rin at the base of the road. She smiled and waved when she saw them. "Granny Kaede is chasing the twins again! Rin is supposed to stay here in case one of them tries to run out of the village!"

Miroku and Sango sighed deeply.

"I suppose Kagome is around here somewhere chasing them as well?" Inuyasha asked, although he felt troubled. He couldn't smell her nearby.

"Ah no," Rin began. She looked nervously at Inuyasha. "Lady Kagome went off with a strange man from another village. He needed help and Granny Kaede sprained her ankle and…"

"WHAT?!" Inuyasha bellowed. He ran immediately to where Kaede was limping around as the twins giggled from behind a hut watching her.

Miroku and Sango caught up to him while grabbing the twins on the way. The two girls wailed knowing their game was over.

"Oi Kaede!" Inuyasha yelled at the old woman. "How could you let Kagome go?"

"Inuyasha…" Kaede began.

"You do realize she's pregnant right? Are you crazy?"

"Inuyasha…"

"I swear if anything happens to her-"

"You'll have my head," Kaede finished the sentence, staring sternly at the half demon. "Inuyasha, I know Kagome is pregnant. I said I would go but she took pity on me and offered to help. A man's village was being raided by a demon. You three were not here so she took it upon herself. I cannot prevent her from helping people if she chooses to. She is a practicing miko after all."

"What kind of demon was it?" asked Miroku. He threw his daughter up in the air, caught her and then did it again. The child squealed with joy.

"The man said it was a spider demon."

Inuyasha didn't speak. They hadn't heard of any spider demons in the area. They had encountered some small fry spider demons in the past but one particular spider always came to mind.

Miroku opened and closed his right hand in front of him. "It can't be him, Inuyasha. The kazaana has not returned."

Inuyasha's heart settled a little at the thought. Kagome had become a great archer. She could surely handle a minor spider demon. Still he didn't relish the thought of leaving Kagome to fend on her own especially in her current condition.

"I think… we should go get her." Sango spoke slowly as if she too were battling in her mind whether or not to trust that Kagome could handle herself. "Pregnancy hormones can be difficult to handle when under stress."

"You two should stay with the kids," Inuyasha said. "I'll go get her."

"No Inuyasha…" Miroku shook his head. He caught his daughter one last time and handed her to Kaede. Rin had appeared beside her. He took the other one from Sango and put her in Rin's arms. "We will accompany you."

Sango apologized to Kaede who didn't look pleased to be charged with the twins for another day. "We promise it won't take long."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Let's go then!"

He leapt from the ground, landing a few feet away before leaping up into the air again.

"Kirara!" Sango called. Her faithful cat demon evolved in a burst of flames. The couple climbed on her back and raced after Inuyasha. They caught up to him in seconds.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called to him. "Can you pick up Kagome's scent?"

"Yeah! She rode there on a horse." The thought made him smirk. Kagome wasn't the best horseman. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time she had been on a horse. He wouldn't subject her to that if he could help it. She would be sore after that ride. He took another whiff of the air. "Shippo is with her."

"I wonder if he passed his last test." Miroku spoke loudly over the sound of the wind rushing past them. They were making really quick time. Their village was a small dot in the distance behind them as they crossed the hills and roads towards the next village. "We will have to be careful around him. Who knows what tricks he's learned this time? Remember the last time he came back Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha scowled. "He never tries them out on you guys. It's always me! The little runt!"

Inuyasha skidded to a halt. His feet kicked up a mound of dirt from his sudden stop. Expressions of horror and anger were mixed on his face. His hands were scrunched up into tight fists.

"Inuyasha?" Sango called down. "What's the matter?"

Inuyasha's heart was pounding. No… It couldn't be. "I smell Kagome's blood!"


End file.
